Do You Feed Your Dog Too Much Human Food?

There are two separate mindsets when it comes to feeding your dog human food and in what amounts. One group believes that dogs should never consume human food, while another group believes anything goes and dogs can eat foods just like a human does.

The truth is that dogs can eat human foods, but should avoid certain types. It’s also true that too much of a good thing can be bad for your dog. As with anything, there has to be a healthy balance.

Puppies are notorious for not knowing boundaries. If you have something to eat, they’re going to do their best to get some of it. But if you give your puppy a bite of food every time that you’re eating, then you’re probably giving him too much.

He can develop an appetite for human food and turn his nose up at his own food. Adult dogs have mastered the pitiful look whenever you’re eating something and it’s easy to toss them a bite or several bites when they put on that long face.

You train your dog to eat with you every time you give him a bite of what you’re having. Senior dogs have discovered that humans have tasty foods. When they hear you moving around in the kitchen, opening a cabinet or the refrigerator, they’re going to come and check it out to see what you’re having.

If your senior dog is overweight, that could be a sign that you’re giving him too much human food – especially if you know that he’s eating all of his dog food as well. One clear sign that you’re giving your dog too much human food is if he’s leaving food in his dish, but he’s still running to you when he knows that you’re eating something.

It’s okay to give your dog certain bits of human food such as lean meats or vegetables. You’ll find those in many of the top quality dog foods. But giving your dog junk food and other items is not only a sure way for him to add on extra pounds, but it can also make him very ill.

The Foods You Have To Avoid Giving Your Dog

The human food that you give him shouldn’t have a high salt content like potato chips because salt isn’t good for dogs. You should also refrain from giving him chocolate or onions or certain types of nuts.

You should avoid giving garlic coated human food items to dogs because it’s toxic to them. A good way to tell if you’re giving your dog too much human food or not is to pay attention to how much food he’s supposed to be eating.

Then track the human food that you’ve been feeding your dog. Giving him some food won’t hurt him and certain human foods are good for dogs, but overdoing it can make him miss out on some of the nutritional value he needs from his own food. Just keep a log of how much human food you’re giving him and balance that with how much food he’s supposed to have for the entire day.